Conveyer



w. MOKEE March 29, 1932.

CONVEYER Filed March 8, 1926 I N V ENTOR. M44; WMCLQ um "um A TTORNEYS' Patented Mar. 29, 1932 PATENT QFFICE WILLIS MCKEE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO CONVEYER Application filed March 8, 1926. Serial No. 93,135.

This invention relates to conveyors and particularly to conveyers on which material is transported by revolving rollers. The conveyer to which the invention relates is particularly applicable to conveying bars and the like, as from a rolling mill to a cooling bed, but it is obvious that it is applicable to many other types of service.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved conveyer which shall be simple in construction and efiicient in operation.

Another object is to provide an electrically driven, self-contained impeller unit.

Another object is to provide a conveyer 5 from which material may be selectively delivered to either side.

Another object is to provide a compact and efficient rotary impeller unit for conveyers and other machines.

Other objects will hereinafter appear.

The invention will be better understood from a description of one practical embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a cross section of an impeller unit in the form of a roller embodying a part of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section of theroller shown in Fig. 1, showing the cooling vanes carried thereby;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the conveyer;

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the conveyer shown in Fig. 3 with parts omitted;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the conveyor shown in Figs. 1 and 5, parts being removed to more clearly illustrate the operating mechanism. i r

Fig. 7 is a similar view of a modified form in which the impeller is in the form of a fan and r Fig. 8 is a similar view of a modified form in which the impeller is in the form of a pulley.

The conveyer comprises a plurality of impellers or rollers 1, which project through a bed formed of plates 2. Each roller rotates about a transverse shaft 3, the ends of which 50 are slidably carried on longitudinal bars 5 and held in place thereon by pins 4. These bars are mounted below the bed and may be moved by mechanism to be hereinafter described, to change the angularity of the axes of the rollers in relation to the longitudinal center line of the bed.

Centrally of the bed and extending longitudinally above the same, the plates are provided with projections 6 forming a central guide which prevents material being carried by one end of the rollers from moving transversely of the conveyer to the other end thereof.

When the end of the rollers upon which the material is being carried is rotating so the material will be skewed toward the guide, it'will be caused to hug the same as it moves along the conveyer.

When the angularity of the rollers is reversed, the material will travel outwardly to the end of the rollers from which it will be discharged down slanting portions 7 of the bed plates.

In advance of the rollers above described, the conveyer has a series of rollers 8 with stationary axes which deliver the material to the movable rollers. A switch 9 is provided by which the material may be directed to either side of the movable rollers as desired.

In the embodiment illustrated, I have shrown the control mechanism for the switch as inter-connected with mechanism for changing the angularity of the rollers, so that they may be simultaneously operated by a single control. The control mechanism consists of a cylinder 10 to which fluid pressure may be admitted to operate the piston and piston rod 11. A link 12 joins the'end of the piston rod to a crank 13 which is keyed to a shaft 14. Likewise, keyed to the shaft 14. are crank arms 15, 16 and 17. Arms 15 and 16 are joined by links 18 and 19 to the ends of rods 5, so that by rotation of shaft 14 one red will be moved relative to the other. A link 20 connects arm 17 to an arm 21 which rotates shaft 22 to which the switch 9 is secured. With the parts arranged as shown in the accompanying drawings, it will be seen thatthe switch is operated upon change of angularity of the rollers, so that it always di- 0 roots the material being delivered to the movable rollers to the side of the conveyer which is in the position to cause the material to hug the central guide. As the arms 15 and 16 are not diametrically opposite each other, they do not move the rods 5 at the same rate of speed, moving one rod at a higher rate at the first part of the stroke and the other at a higher rate at the last of the stroke.

The impeller is a composite unit in the form of a roller, having a self contained operating motor. The electrical motor employed in this unit differs from most electrical motors in that the shell of the motor revolves while the central part is stationary. In this application the term rotor is used to designate the outside revolving frame of the motor while the fixed member is designated the stator, whether the current used be direct or alternating. The roller comprises an outer cylindrical shell 23. Axially of this shell extends a shaft 3 which is supported on the rods 5 as above described. Keyed to the shaft 3 is the stator or field 24 of an electric motor, preferably an A. C. motor of the induction type, the field comprising coils wound in the usual manner, and a laminated core 'as illustrated. The rotor or armature rotates about the periphery of the stator and is illustrated as comprising a core .25, and an outer frame 26. The frame is preferably supported about the shaft on anti-friction bearings 27 which also carry the load of the roller and is of smaller outer diameter than the inner diameter of the roller shell .23, so that a space is provided between these through which air or other cooling medium may circulate to cool both the motor and the roller shell. Preferably, the shell and rotary casing are held in spaced relation between a spider 28 which may be integral with the motor shell and a fan comprising a periph-' eral rim 29 and helical blades 30 at the other end of the motor. These blades direct a stream of air between the motor and roller shell and thus cool both the motor and shell, relieving both the heat generated in the m0- tor and that conducted to the interior of the shellfrom the hot material passing thereover.

In Fig. 7 the impeller or fan blades 32 have been mounted on the central part of the rotor and extend radially therefrom. A ring 33 may be provided to connect the outer ends of the blades.

In Fig. 8, the impeller or shell 34 is supported about the rotor as in the case of the bar conveying rolls above described. However, as this shell is intended to drive a belt, belt conveyer, or the like, it is preferably crowned as shown at 35 or provided with flanges or other means for retaining the belt in place.

Electricity may be supplied to the motor through conductors 31. The motors may be driven from any suitable source of power, but

it is preferable to drive them from a generator which is driven by the last pass rolls of the rolling mill. By the use of such a generator, when the speed of the mill changes, the frequency of the current generated likewise changes and the speed of the motor rollers is correspondingly changed automatically.

I claim:

1. A conveyer comprising a series of independent electrically driven rollers having driving means therewithin, a guide extending longitudinally of the conveyer intermediate the ends of said rollers and above the same, and means for changing the angularity of the rollers with respect to the guide.

2. A conveyer for two-sided cooling beds comprising a central guide, horizontal rollers having driving means therewithin, the said rollers extending transversely of the said guide, means to change the angularity of said rollers with respect'to the guide, and a de fiector to direct material selectively to either side of said guide.

3. A conveyer comprising a central vertical guide, horizontal rollers having electrical driving means therewithin, the said rollers extending to both sides of the said guide, means for moving the rollers in a horizontal plane to change their angularity with respect to said guide, a deflector selectively directing the material to one or the other side of the conveyer and means moving said deflector when the angularity of the rollersis reversed.

l. A conveyer roller comprising a shell, a

motor within and spaced apart-from said.

shell to provide an air space therebetween, the motor including a central stator and a rotor rotatable thereabout and connected to the interior of the shell, and means including a blade disposed within the shell and of 7 greater radial length than the shortest radial distance between the exterior of the rotor and the interior of the shell for impelling cooling fluid between the shell and rotor.

5. conveyer roller comprising a'totally enclosed. motor including a stationary central shaft, a stator fiXGCl thereto and a rotor journaled on said shaft, a cylindrical shell carried by said rotor and spaced therefrom, and a fan between said shell and said rotor for passing cooling fluid through the space be tween the said shell and rotor.

6. A conveyer roller comprising a shaft held against rotation, but angularly movable in a horizontal plane, a totally enclosed motor including an electric motor stator fixed on said shaft, a rotor surrounding said stator and journaled on said shaft, a roller shell surrounding said rotor and spaced therefrom, and means including a fan connecting said shell to said rotor.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature this 6th day of March, 1926.

. i/VILLIS MOKEE. 

